


from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged

by hydroxy



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Best Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, except he hasn’t had his first kiss, just honest to god fluff and more fluff, mark is the lead of the school play, romeo and juliet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27096322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydroxy/pseuds/hydroxy
Summary: Mark’s dare, Donghyuck had delightedly proposed, was to audition for the role of Romeo from none other than William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.“Just watch,” Donghyuck had said, “with your luck, we’ll be buying tickets to your opening night in two months.”
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 13
Kudos: 177





	from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged

**Author's Note:**

  * For [byvntaee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/byvntaee/gifts).



It was just a dare. An innocent dare that Mark had no intention of taking seriously, so he didn’t, hastily scratching his name onto the bottom of the audition form tacked onto the wall without so much as sparing a glance at the requirements or the list of names that had preceded his, a multicolored mess of gel-penned scrawls that had spanned three whole columns and then some.

Why he’d decided to take Donghyuck up on that dare was beyond him. 

They’d spent the whole afternoon after school one day, about a week or two ago, sprawled across his bedroom floor after a series of Super Smash tournaments arguing over who _really_ won, Donghyuck too stubborn to admit that he’d lost some of his skill after going away to summer camp for a month and Mark too tired to keep debating the topic. Renjun had left quietly once the two began to bicker, opting to sit in Mark’s dining room to get a head start on his homework due the next week and sip on his milk tea while Jaemin and Jeno were busy flitting about the kitchen, Jaemin appointing himself as head chef for dinner and Jeno in charge of making sure Jaemin didn’t accidentally light anything on fire. 

When Jisung and Chenle finally arrived after their swim practice, bags of Chinese takeout in hand after Jaemin had called for backup (thanks to Jeno’s insistence and Renjun _finally_ having enough of their bickering and begrudgingly taking matters into his own hands), the boys had congregated in Mark’s dining room, his parents gone for the weekend on a business trip. “You be good,” his mother had said, gently kissing Mark’s forehead before turning to warmly smile at Donghyuck, who had an arm slung over Mark’s shoulder with a cheeky grin on his face.

Donghyuck’s parents were much more relaxed than Mark’s, allowing him to spend nights, weekends, weeks at Mark’s house without much fuss at all, though this was likely helped by the fact that they’d been next-door neighbors and best friends for as long as Mark could remember. Lego-building playdates and neighborhood bike rides soon turned into late-night video game battles, lazy summer afternoons in Donghyuck’s backyard pool, and a multitude of study dates with the rest of their friends who’d slowly trickled into their tight circle as the years went on.

Renjun’s suggestion to play Jenga was quickly shot down by the younger few who preferred to wear out the joysticks on Mark’s Switch controllers, and as his bedroom slowly heated up from the roaring laughter and petty arguments from the pile of bodies that crowded the floor in front of his television screen, Jeno had suggested that they take a break, Jaemin chiming in with an idea to play truth or dare, a game seldom played since their middle school years.

They’d gone in a circle, most of them starting their turn with a truth rather than dare until Donghyuck had gotten bored of hearing about things he claimed he already knew about all of them, goading them all into choosing dare the next turn around the circle. Jisung ended up agreeing to blond highlights after being reassured by the rest of them that they’d take the blame if his mother were to yell at him, Jaemin especially giddy since he’d get to break out his hair dyeing supplies once more, his own hair a bubblegum pink after a long stint of periwinkle. Renjun had opted out of the game by that point, asserting that Donghyuck would only take the opportunity to make his life a living hell for a day (“As if I don’t _already,_ buzzkill!” Donghyuck had pouted), leaving Chenle with a dare to kiss Jaemin on the cheek, to both his and Jeno’s discomfort but to Jaemin’s delight. Jaemin had decided to take on both his and Jeno’s dares, dramatically kissing his boyfriend before belly flopping into the deep end of Donghyuck’s pool and running around their neighborhood, in only shorts and flip flops, while soaking wet immediately afterwards. 

Mark’s dare, Donghyuck had delightedly proposed, was to audition for the role of Romeo from none other than William Shakespeare’s _Romeo and Juliet._ Mark was absolutely _perfect_ for the role, Donghyuck had decided, easily convincing the others that this was, in fact, a great opportunity to embarrass the great Mark Lee in front of the entire student body. Mark had only rolled his eyes, laughing at their misguided assumption that he’d _actually_ be cast as a lead for a school play. “Just watch,” Donghyuck had said, “with your luck, we’ll be buying tickets to your opening night in two months.”

And as the prophecy foretold, Mark was dumbstruck when he saw his name printed in bold letters next to _Male Lead: Romeo Montague_ on the large sheet of paper stapled onto the bulletin board outside of the theatre’s main entrance, groaning into his hands as the commotion around him increased, complaints from those demoted to inanimate objects and cheers from second leads who’d been waiting for their time to shine.

“What did I say?” Donghyuck had teased, lightly tapping the tip of Mark’s nose to his contempt, “See you onstage, superstar.”

  
  
  


Two weeks into dry rehearsal, the set is still rudimentary, with large slabs of pinewood drilled together to form square frames that would eventually become tall balconies. Their director pulls Mark and their lead actress aside to inform them that _yes_ , since this was a high school play, they didn’t _have_ to kiss if they didn’t _want_ to, but he’d _really_ appreciate it if they could be professional about it for the sake of the _fine_ art of theatrical performance. Juliet nods in agreement, determination in her face as she clutched her script tightly to her chest and swore to honor the ghosts of the theatre before her, leaving Mark no choice but to mumble an awkward sound of hesitant approval as their director claps his hands together with glee.

Perhaps he would’ve been more comfortable with the idea of kissing a stranger in front of a few hundred people if he had any prior acting experience. Or maybe it was the fact that he’d never actually _kissed_ anyone and didn’t want his first kiss to be in the middle of rehearsal surrounded by a few dozen other students staring at him from behind the stage curtains.

All Mark knew was that he either needed to somehow lose his kissing virginity before the fateful day or strangle Donghyuck for being the cause of his current unfortunate circumstances. He seriously considers both.

  
  
  
  


“How’s the show coming along?” his mother asks during dinner one evening, to which Mark replies with a few mumbles about needing to memorize his lines before quickly scarfing down the rest of his meal and escaping to the safety of his room, free from the possibility of her prying into his new onstage relationship with a girl he’d met only three weeks ago. 

“Can you come over?” Mark says into the speaker of his phone as he slouches against an upright pillow in bed, already hearing the jingling of keys on the other end and the light outside his bedroom window flickering off. As he turns to place his phone onto the adjacent nightstand, he hears the front door open downstairs and his mother giving a warm welcome to their evening guest. Footsteps tread lightly on the carpet staircase leading to his room, the door tenderly creaking open as Donghyuck pokes his head in and gently asks, “How are you?”

“I’m okay,” Mark replies with a soft murmur, shifting over to give Donghyuck space to crawl into bed next to him, snuggling his cheek against the warmth of Donghyuck’s head in the crook of his shoulder, the scent of his peach and vanilla shampoo wafting through the air from his damp hair. This was almost second nature, this sense of comfort that came so easily when it was just the two of them, alone to talk about anything on their mind until the early rays of the sun peeked through their window.

“How was rehearsal today?” Donghyuck softly asks, craning his head up to give Mark full view of the constellation of moles speckled along his cheek. His eyes, luminous from the reflection of the white lights shining from above them, are calm, inviting, quiet. 

“We’re only a few pages away from the kiss,” Mark sighs wearily, gently nuzzling Donghyuck’s cheek as he pulls him closer, twining their fingers together as he listens to the slow rhythm of Donghyuck’s breath on his neck. He’d done his best to avoid talking about the giant elephant in the room up until this point, only briefly entertaining the rest of the boys who reveled in his obvious discomfort whenever the topic was brought up, but as the fateful day inched closer, Mark had no choice but to confront the awkward tension between him and the idea of his lips meeting those that belonged to someone he didn’t love. Donghyuck was the only one in their whole group who stayed silent whenever the others teased and poked at Mark, uncharacteristically coming to Mark’s aid whenever the boys had gotten too rowdy with their comments. 

“Just ignore the page when it comes,” Donghyuck mumbles, a shy grin on his face when Mark looks back down at him with incredulity. “If you ignore it, it won’t exist. Works for my problems all the time,” Donghyuck winks playfully.

It’d been a while since they’d been able to lay together like this, Mark’s rehearsals taking up the majority of his day with only a few hours in the night for him to catch up on his studies before knocking out, Donghyuck often busy taking care of his siblings after school. But the two, as promised in the silent bond that only grew between them as the years had passed, always remembered to call each other goodnight, to wave salutations to the other through their windows each morning, to share smiles and laughter in the thirty minutes of their lunch break every weekday.

“I missed you,” Mark whispers, his voice fading into the faint whistles of the wind outside his bedroom window. Donghyuck squeezes his hand tighter, pulls himself closer, as if to say _It’s alright, I’m here now_ , smoothing his thumb over the skin of Mark’s fingers as the two slowly drift to sleep, limbs entangled and hearts full.

  
  
  
  


“We’ll be resuming rehearsals again on Tuesday,” their director had announced to the delight of the cast and crew, thankful for a three day weekend after months of weekly monotony. “But you better not forget any of your lines,” he’d warned, shooting an obvious glance toward the boy who played Mercutio, “or I’ll be holding an extra hour of rehearsal every day next week to make up for it.” 

The boys had planned for an entire weekend of mostly indoor festivities save for the occasional trip to Donghyuck’s swimming pool a few steps out from the exit to his backyard, Mark’s parents reminding him to brush his teeth every night as they waved to him from their front porch, his duffel bag full of board games, snacks, and a few crumpled assignments hastily stuffed into the front pocket. 

Friday afternoon was filled with popcorn and sour candies, the boys squished together on the rug in front of the huge flatscreen in Donghyuck’s living room, Donghyuck leaning against Mark’s chest as they sped through their list of comedies, thrillers, and romantic dramas. Renjun was quick to scold Jisung for forgetting to throw his candy wrappers into the trash bin, Chenle squealing with laughter once Jisung finally escaped Renjun’s wrath to strangle him for mixing in his own wrappers into Jisung’s pile on the floor. Jaemin and Jeno stayed attached by the hip, Jeno tending to Jaemin’s sensitivity to the cold by wrapping him with more than half of the blanket they were sharing and Jaemin thanking him with the occasional peck on the cheek throughout their movie marathon. At some point during the first of many films, Donghyuck had laced his fingers together with Mark’s, resting their hands against the smooth skin of his thigh, Mark pulling him close as the warmth between them grew with every synchronous heartbeat.

  
  
  
  


Saturday morning was filled with dollops of pancake batter on countertops and sugar highs caused by strawberry jam and maple syrup, bowls upon bowls of ingredients stacked atop one another as a whirlwind of energetic chatter and sleepy yawns swept through the crowded kitchen. Mark had been the first to awake, carefully replacing his body underneath Donghyuck’s arm and cheek with his pillow scented with brown sugar and cardamom from the pomade left in his hair. Jaemin and Jeno had trickled out next, Jaemin’s hand around Jeno’s waist as they visited Mark in the kitchen, hair disheveled and minty smiles wide. Jeno suggested pancakes, Jaemin argued waffles, and Renjun awoke with dark circles under his eyes to convince Mark to take them both to the store to buy ingredients while he caught up on much-needed sleep. By the time they returned, Jisung and Chenle were wide awake and talking Renjun’s ear off, Renjun thankful for the presence of the others to entertain the younger ones as he padded off to the couch with his cup of hot tea to sip under the warmth of the sun’s rays gleaming through the skylight.

“Donghyuck-ah,” Mark had whispered, gently closing the door behind him as he kneeled on the floor beside Donghyuck’s closed eyes, tracing his fingers along the smooth curve of the younger’s cheek, “it’s time to wake up now.” Donghyuck had slowly opened his eyes, a gentle smile pulling at his lips as he took in the familiar sight of Mark’s kind gaze upon him, burrowing his face closer to the touch of Mark’s hand as he pulled his covers up to his chin. “Just five more minutes,” he’d mumbled, blindly reaching for the fabric of Mark’s shirt to pull him close, replacing the pillow next to him with tender arms and hushed breaths.

  
  
  
  


Sunday evening was filled with memories and water fights, the boys perched atop blow-up floaties with plastic water guns and colorful pool noodles in hand, cooling off from the sweltering heat of the afternoon that had ushered neighborhood squirrels under the shade and hummingbirds to water fountains. 

“Whoever gets knocked down first has to clean the dishes later!” Chenle had happily shouted, Jisung clinging on for dear life on top of his shoulders while Jaemin and Jeno braced themselves for the incoming chicken fight, Donghyuck and Jisung sending obvious suggestive glances towards their direction before Renjun blew the whistle on the sidelines. “Get him, hyung!” Jisung had cheerfully yelled, clapping his hands together as he and Chenle laughed at the heated wrestle between Donghyuck and Jaemin, Donghyuck ending it quickly by tickling Jaemin in the side to send him falling backwards into the water, dragging Jeno down with him. Renjun had adamantly claimed foul play, but the younger boys eventually put the argument to rest by convincing him to take their side with a week’s worth of ice cream coupons.

Dinner was hot dogs and hamburgers, the sun slowly setting behind them to tint the sky a bright orange hue, cooling the smooth cement tile surrounding the pool as water from their footsteps evaporated into the evening breeze. Renjun was the first to turn in, claiming that he wanted to be the first to use the shower before the rest of them could hog all the hot water, soon followed by Jisung and Chenle who were eager to ruffle his freshly washed and combed hair. The rest of them had stayed in the backyard, sipping on iced fruit punch and laughing as they reminisced their first few years of high school together: Jisung getting lost on his first day of school, Renjun’s fleeting crush on the captain of the volleyball team, Jeno running for class president but losing the election to Jaemin.

“What about Mark _actually_ getting the role of Romeo?” Jeno had laughed, earning a petulant shove from Mark sitting beside him. “I didn’t think I’d get it, okay?” Mark had retorted, finally giving in and laughing along as the boys giggled at the possibility of seeing Mark in knee breeches and a ruffled poet shirt in four weeks. “We’re getting tickets the moment they go on sale,” Jaemin had added, Donghyuck smirking as Mark slouched against his chair with a long sigh.

Only the chirping of crickets and the occasional croaking of toads could be heard by the time night had fallen, the sky aglow with the blue light of the moon and stars. Jaemin’s teeth had begun to chatter, Jeno wrapping him with his towel and bringing him inside to warm by the heater as he simmered milk on the stove to prepare him a cup of hot chocolate. 

“Hyung,” Donghyuck says, lightly tugging at Mark’s wrist after the two finish cleaning up the empty plates and wiping down the tables, “let’s go for a swim.” 

“Okay,” Mark easily replies, allowing himself to be guided to the edge of the pool and toeing off his sandals as he watches Donghyuck ease himself into the water, step by step until only his chest is bare to the cool wind. He turns around to drape his towel on a nearby chair and follows suit, welcoming the push and pull of the water caressing his skin as he wades forward to reach for Donghyuck’s outstretched hand.

“Thank you for coming,” Donghyuck murmurs as Mark steps closer, entwining their fingers by his chest and smiling, watching the transparent drips fall into the water surrounding them to form rings that just as quickly dissipate into the gentle waves. 

“You don’t have to thank me,” Mark says, gently, running his hand along the sheen of Donghyuck’s shoulder, smoothing the dewdrops that cling onto his skin. Donghyuck smiles, pulling Mark closer to him, “But I do,” he says, “because no matter what, you’re always here.” 

“I’ll always be here,” Mark promises, collecting water with his hand to watch it flow through his fingers, “whenever you need me.” 

They hold still for a moment, the only movement between them the warm air released with each breath and the cold water calmly swelling beside them, as Mark’s eyes slowly trace the smooth arches of the eyebrows belonging to the boy in front of him, the gentle slope of his nose, the long eyelashes that tickle the boy’s cheekbones, reflections of light from the water dancing and sparkling in intricate, rhythmic patterns on his lips. “Donghyuck,” he suddenly whispers, his steady gaze meeting the boy’s eyes, dark, warm, patient, his thumb caressing the grooves between the boy’s knuckles, his heartbeat pulsing through his chest as heat begins to flood from his core to the tips of his fingers, “can I kiss you?”

Everything around them seemed to stop, then, at the very moment those fated words spilled from his lips to encase them with an invisible aura full of warmth, of love. The sound of wind stirring awake the maple leaves of the trees towering over them, the scent of chlorine from the water that ebbed and flowed at their waists were replaced by the sonance of Donghyuck's timid breaths in harmony with his, the peppery aroma of his sun-bleached hair and tanned skin.

“I’m glad Juliet won’t be your first,” Donghyuck mumbles, his voice a delicate murmur as he tenderly presses his forehead against Mark’s, carefully treading on the glass pane separating them that begged to be broken. Mark’s hand comes up to gently cup the younger’s cheek, skin warm and soft under his palm, his eyelashes tickling his cheeks as his eyelids flutter closed.

“Yes,” Donghyuck finally sighs, finally shattering the thin veil between them, “kiss me,” inching forward to gently press their lips together.

His lips are warm against Mark’s, the rest of the world falling away as their breaths, soft and slow, mingle together. Mark delicately caresses the slope of Donghyuck’s cheek as he sinks, sweetly and rapidly into a love full of passion, of sincerity, of kindness, a gentle sigh released as they pull apart, eyelashes fluttering through a rose-tinted daze.

“Hey,” Mark whispers, his other hand coming up to brush the hair from Donghyuck’s forehead, Donghyuck’s arms finding a home around his waist as he stared back at him with burning embers in his eyes, “I love you,” he breathes, his lips pulled into a smile as his heart leaps, Donghyuck pulling him even closer to rest his head in the crook of his neck.

“I love you too,” Donghyuck murmurs, his eyes flickering once more to the gloss on Mark’s lips.

A timid whisper, barely audible over the rustling of leaves around them, “Can we kiss again?”

Mark’s lips immediately move softly on his, his warm tongue tentatively brushing against the younger’s bottom lip as he cups Donghyuck’s jaw tenderly in his palms, their lips slowly parting in harmony as Mark leans in, Donghyuck’s hands traveling up his back to delicately run his fingers through his hair. Donghyuck catches Mark’s bottom lip in his, Mark gently coaxing him to tilt his head upwards, his tongue softly brushing against the younger’s before he pulls back, lips tingling as they part for air.

 _“Thank God_ I made you audition,” Donghyuck teases, his nose gently tickling Mark’s cheek as he nuzzles closer. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Mark asks, carding his fingers through Donghyuck’s wavy hair.

“I’d probably have to wait thirty more years for a kiss from you if you hadn’t gotten the role,” Donghyuck giggles, pulling Mark closer as a steady flush rises up the older’s cheeks. 

“Well,” Mark sighs, his lips pulling into a wide smile, “I’m glad that you’re very convincing.”

  
  
  


Monday evening was filled with warm kisses and soft whispers, the two with fingers entwined and limbs entangled, Mark’s blanket tightly wrapped around them as they listened to the gentle rustling of fallen leaves outside his bedroom window. They’d stayed like this since morning, after the rest of the boys had said their goodbyes and made their promises to see each other at lunch tomorrow, Donghyuck’s slow breaths matching the slow rhythm of Mark’s heartbeat as they laid together, basking in the warm glow from the afternoon sun streaming through his window. Donghyuck had admitted that he’d dreamt of days like this before, that the butterflies in his stomach had only multiplied as the years went by and as the two grew into one another, that he wished they could stay like this forever. Mark had promised, once more, to stay by his side, to protect and love and cherish him, to be his first, his last, his forever.

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday linh ♡ thank u for reading! [twt](https://www.twitter.com/hyckfairy/)
> 
>   
> major kudos to you if you caught the parallel between shakespeare’s window scene and their kiss scene :3


End file.
